In March, Aloha Exchange members recognized Sgt. James Correa as “Officer of the Year” and Capt. Darwin Okinaka as “Firefighter of the Year” in a dinner ceremony. Correa, who joined the Police Department in March 1998, is assigned to the South Hilo District, where he heads the Special Enforcement Unit. Okinaka joined the Fire Department in May 2000 and is in charge of the Training Bureau.
In March, Aloha Exchange members recognized Sgt. James Correa as “Officer of the Year” and Capt. Darwin Okinaka as “Firefighter of the Year” in a dinner ceremony. Correa, who joined the Police Department in March 1998, is assigned to the South Hilo District, where he heads the Special Enforcement Unit. Okinaka joined the Fire Department in May 2000 and is in charge of the Training Bureau.
During a ceremony at the Hilo Yacht Club, each honoree received a plaque from the Aloha Exchange Club, certificates of commendation from the governor’s office, the mayor’s office, the Legislature and the Hawaii County Council, and a gift basket of donated items and gift certificates.
Correa was honored for his leadership role in capturing two escaped prisoners.
According to police, on Dec. 5, 2012, inmates Jarvis Naoki Higa and Ryan Jeffries-Hamar escaped from Hawaii Community Correctional Center after allegedly assaulting and overpowering a correctional officer. In the aftermath of the escape, the Police Department formed two teams, one from each side of the island, to lead an intense man hunt for the fugitives.
Correa was assigned to lead the East Hawaii task force, while Sgt. Bradley Freitas was in charge of the West Hawaii task force. The two teams worked together tracking down all leads. Due to their commitment, Higa was arrested in Ka‘u two days after the escape. Jeffries-Hamar was tracked down a week later in Puna.
Okinaka was honored for his leadership, attitude and community service. During the past year, he was the core facilitator for firefighter recruits, leading 29 of them to realize their dreams of protecting the community. Okinaka continues to take the lead in assisting with voluntary community service events with the recruits, such as the painting of the NAS pool parking lot, painting of the exhibit structures at the Panaewa Rainforest Zoo, providing first aid service at booths at the Muscular Dystrophy walk and American Cancer Society Relay for Life, as well as being an integral part of the planning and operations team for the annual Hawaii Fire Department’s EMS Week Festivities and Fire Prevention Week events.